campbell



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. CAMPBELL. MACHINE FOR SBGURING THE GORNERS OP BOXES.

Patented May 13, 1890.

1 lllll :Ifwllllll /M/Zwa/ me mams paens co.. mcnrmnn., wAsnmeroN, u. c.

(No Model.) l 8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. CMVIPBELL.l MAGHINE POR SEQURING THB GGRNERS 0F BOXES.

No. 427,670. PatentedMaylB, 189.0.

L/ /j/ A (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.'

H. CAMPBELL. MACHINE FOR SEGURNG THE G'ORNERS 0F BOXES.

No. 427,670. Patented Maly 13, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY CAMPBELL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MACHINEFOR SECURING THE CORNERS OF BOXES.l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 427,670, dated May 13,1890u Application filed June 20, 1887. Serial No. 241,941l (No model.)Patented in England January 19, 1887, No. 848; in France June 7, 1887,No. 184,078; in Belgium June 9,1887,No.77,767; in Germany June11,1887,No.48,316; in Italy June 30, 1887, No` 21, 867/219; in CanadaJuly 18,1887,No,27,189; in Victoria July 19,1887,N0.5,184; in New SouthWales August 2,1887,No. 38; in Spain November 9, 1887, No. 7,118; inNorway January 16, 1888, No. 888, and iu Austria-H1111- gary June5,1888,N0.15,037,andN0,23,198.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CAMPBELL, engineer, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, at present residing at 115 Cannon Street, in the cityof London and Kingdom of Great Britain, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Seeu rin g the Corners of Boxes,(which have been patented in Great Britain by Letters Patent datedJanuary 19, 1887, No. 848; in France by Letters Patent dated June 7,1887, No.184,078; in Belgium by Letters Patent dated June Sl, 1887, No.77,767; in Germany l by Letters Patent dated June 11,1887,No.

48,816; in Austriadiungary by Letters Patent dated .Tune 5, 1888, No.15,037/28,198; in Italy by Letters Patent dated June 80, 1887, No.21,867/219; in Spain by Letters Patent dated November 9, 1887, No.7,118; in Canada by Letters Patent dated July 18, 1887, No. 27,189; inVictoria by Letters Patent dated July 19,1887,No. 5,184; in New SouthVales by Letters Patent dated August 2, 1887, No. 88, and in Norwaydated January 16,1888, No. 888,) ot which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to produce machinery capable of performingall the operations of cutting out the angle clamps, bending themlongitudinally into the required shape, cutting them to length, andapplying them when'so cut ou t, bent, and cut to length to the cornersof the boxes, whereby a very considerable economy will be effected notonly of hand-labor, but in the number and cost of machines to perform aspecified quantity of work.

My improved machinery is illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed, inwhich* Figure 1 is a plan; Fig. 2, a front elevation; Figs. 8, 4, 5, G,7, and 8, transverse sectional elevations on lines 1 1, 2 2, 8 8, 4 4, 55, and (5 G, respectively of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 9

represents a strip of metal as cut out by the machine to form anangle-clamp, and Fig. 10 shows an end view of such strip of metal whenbent to form an angle-clamp.

Similar letters of reference relate to like parts in all the figures.

On a bed-plate A, I mount in suitable bearings a revolving shaft B,carrying a series of cams, which shaft I shall hereinafter call thecam-shaft. At one end of the bed-plate A, I place a punching orcutting-out device con sisting of a suitable fixed bottom die or cutterO, of a shape suitable for cutting the edges of a strip of metal intoclaws of the desired form, as illustrated to a larger scale in Fig. 9,for example, and of a corresponding upper movable matrix or cutters D D,the latter being iixed on and operated by a lever E, or other suitablemechanical device actuated by a cam F on the camshaft Bl. In order toprevent the portion` of the strip of metal cut out by these cutters frombeing retained in and carried up by the matrix or cut ter D, astripper-bar G is placed in the matriX or cutter D. Two rods G G', Withshoulders or collars G2 G2, are secured at their lower ends in the saidbar G, and, passing up through holes in the lever E, are guided at theirupper ends by a cross-head G3, secured to the said lever.

Gfl GAl are springs bearing against the under side of the cross-head G3and on the upper side of the collars G2 G2, tending always to press therods G G and the stripper-bar G downward, so as t0 force the strip outof the matrix D and prevent its retention therein.

Next in order on the bed-plate A, I arrange a series of rollers 1I II.H2 H3 for the purpose of bending and shaping the strip of metal cut outin the above-mentioned cutting-out device into the necessary angularforms to serve as clamps. The rollers II and II turn in horizontalbearings in the cap HX, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, and the rollers II2and H3011 vertical pins HL1 and H5, respectively, as shown in Fig. 5.The pin Hlisiixed in a sole-plate 1I, the pin H5 in a piece H7, adaptedto slide on the piece I-I", and both H(s and H' are secured to thebed-plate A by a stud and nut 118, passing through slots in the piecesH(S and H7. By this means the rollers H2 and H2 can be adjusted to orfrom each other or to and from the center line, as may be required, theadj Listing-screw H9 serving to make the adjustment of the roller H3toward the roller H2.

H10 is a former or mandrel, the upper part of which has the shape theinside of the clamp is intended to have. It is secured in place betweenthe packing-pieces H11 by the set-screws H12. (See Fig. 4.)

The roller 1I is grooved on its periphery, so as to commence the bendinglongitudinally in the middle to the required angle of the strip of metalleaving the cutting-out devices. The roller H' is grooved in a similarmanner, but so as to complete the longitudinal bending of the body ofthe strip to the. required angle. The rollers H2 H3 are grooved vontheir peripheries, so as to bend the claws at the edges of the strip ofmetal inward to the proper angle, the mandrel H10 co-operating` with therollers 1I, H', H2, and I12 to impart the required shape-such as thatshown inv Fig. 10, for example-to the clamps, preparatory to their beingapplied to the corners of the boxes.

Next after the above-described bendingrollers I arrange on the bed-plateA a feeding device composed of a pair of grippingjaws I I', mounted on acarriage I2, adapted to slide to and fro longitudinally between dovetailguides 13 on the bed-plate A. These jaws are adapted to receive andgrasp between them the bent metallic clamp-strip K.

lThe carriage I2 has secured to it a pin I1, the

upper end of which takes into a sliding bush 15 in a slot in'one end ofa feeding-lever I, which is capable of being oscillated horizontally onthe fulcrum-pin I7, fixed to or formed on the piece I8 by thecam 110 onthe cam-shaft B to the extentnecessary for feeding forward a length ofclamp-strip, and vertically by the rocking of the lfulcruin-pin IT andthe piece I8 on the center screws 19 to a limited extent by the cam 111,sufficient to allow the upper gripping-jaw I to grasp and release theclampstrip between it and the lower jaw I' at the proper time. Thestroke of the feed-lever 16 may be adjusted to give thenecessary-traverse to the feeding devices to suit the various lengths ofangle-clamps by increasing or decreasing the backward stroke of thelever under the action of the spring I12 by varying the length of thestop-finger 113 by its screwadjustment. The jaws I and 1' are steelwashers threaded onto the pin 14, and having grooves or recesses outacross them corresponding to the shape, above and below, of' the bentmetallic clamp-strip K. The lower washer I bears upon the upper surfaceof the carriage 12, and the washer 1 is pressed upward against the underside of the lever 16 by means 'of the pins 114, acted on -by the springs115. A hole I1G through the pin I4 allows of the passage through thelatter of the metallic strip K. It will now be understood that when thefront end of the feed-lever drawings.

1G is pressed down by the action of the cam 111 the washer I is presseddownward, grasping the metallic strip K between itself and the washerI', and that when the front end of the feed-lever I6 is released by thecam 111 the springs 115 press up the washer I, releasing themetallicstrip K. 1t will be further understood that the forwardhorizontal oscillation of the lever 16 by the action of the cam 11Owhile the washer or jaws I 1 are closed together, acting through the pinI4, causes the carriage 12, and with it the grasping devices, to slidelongitudinally forward, carrying the metallic strip with it, and thatthe backward horizontal oscillation of the lever 1G, effected by theaction of the spring 112 While the washers or jaws I I' are open, causesthe carriage I2, and with it the grasping devices, to slidelongitudinally backward (without moving the metallic strip) into aposition to take a fresh grasp of the said strip at a new point of itslength.

After the feed mechanism is a die L L', through which the bent or shapedclamp-strip is pushed by the feed-jaws. The lower part L of this dieforms the fixed cutting-edge of a pair of shears, by which theclamp-strip is cut off to the required length. 1t is shaped to the formof the under side of the bent strip. The upper part L of the die isshaped to fit the upper side of the bent strip, and is held down inplace when a length of strip to form a clamp is being sheared off by aspring L2, acting on a pin L3, carried by the shearinglever M, and ispressed upward by springs L4 while the-bent strip is being pushedforward, so as to give plenty of room for the passage of the stripthrough the die. The other cutting-edge L5 of the shears is formed on orsecured to one side of the front end of the lever M, which lever servesat the saine time as a presser for forcing the angle-clamps onto thecorners of the boxes. This latter lever M, which may be called theshearing and pressing lever, is placed at the end of the bed-plate Aopposite to that at which theV cutting-out devices are placed, and isactuated by an appropriate cam M on the cam-shaft B. Below the front endof the lever M is fixed an anvil N, the upper edge of which correspondsto the angle of the box-corner, and the pressing-lever M may in somecases have merely a groove in its end corresponding to and fitting overthe edge of the anvil for the purpose of pressing the clamps into theboxcorners; or it may be fitted with the supplementary closing orpressing devices illustrated in sectional elevation in Fig. 7 of theThese devices consist as follows:

Two jaws M2, each formed of a cylindrical segment, are fitted into acylindrical cavity bored in the front end of the lever M. These jawshave each an arm M3, projecting upward through a slot in thelever M. Thesegmental jaws M2 are held in place in the cylindrical cavity bykeep-plates M1. M1" are links pinjointed at one end to the arms Mg andat the IOO IIO

other end to the front end of alever M6, which turns on a fulcrum M7 onthe lever M itself. The rear end of the lever VM6 is acted upon by a camMS on the cam-shaft B. It will now be understood that when the cam M hasoperated on the lever M so as to lower its front end, and thereby effectthe cutting off of a length of clampstrip, the jaws M2 are also lowered,following up the clamp-strip so cut off, and the cam Ms then acts on thelever MG, so as to press the frontend of thelatter downward. The linksMiy act upon the arms M3 after the mannerof a toggle-joint, turning thesegmental jaws M2 in their cylindrical cavity, so that their lowerradial faces turn to a right or any other angle correspondingto that ofthe box-corner to be opera-ted upon and drive the claws of the clampinto the box-corner as required. Vhen the cam Ms releases the lever M,the spring M9 returns it and the jaws M2 to their normal posit-ions, andwhen the cam M releases the lever M the spring M10 returns it and thejaws M2 into the position shown in the drawings.

The action of the machinery or apparatus is as follows: The strip ofmetal from which the angle-clamps are to be madeis preferablycontinuous, and is fed into the machine over the lower or fixed die ofthe cutting-outmech anism between the bending and shaping rollers, andinto the grasp of the feedingjaws. rlhe cam-shaft B is now caused tomake a revolution. The cam F actuates the lever E. The matrix or cutterD is thereby forced down over the die C, cutting out from 'the strip ofmetal the spaces between the claws, as illustrated in Fig. 9, forexample. The feed-lever I6 is then oscillated horizontally by thecamsurface 110 a distance equal to the length of a finished angle-clamp,the cam-surface I11 having previously acted on the said lever so as toclose the jaw I vertically onto the strip of metal, so as to grasp andhold it firmly between itself and the lower jaw I, as before described.The strip of metal is thereby drawn an equal distance between thebending and shaping rollers and the former or mandrel H10, whereby thestrip of metal is bent bodily to its required angular form and its clawsbent under at the proper angle, as illustrated in Fig. lO, for example.The cam-surface I now releases the lever l6 vertically and the upper jawis released from the strip of metal, which then remains stationary,while the spring I12 draws the rear end of the lever l horizontally, soas to return the feeding-j aws backward ready to take a fresh grip ofthe strip. As the feed mechanism draws the cut-out and bent strip ofmetal through, it pushes the leading end through the cutting-off die L Land over the anvil N; but in the meantime an operative will haveinserted the corner of a box between the anvil N and the length ofangleclamp projected over the latter. The shearing and pressing lever Mis now actuated by the cam M', its front end descends, the shearingedges Land L5 cut off the length of angleclamp, the beveled front edgeof the shear L5 pushes the cut-off angle-clamp forward under the jaws h2, and the cam M8 then actuates the lever MG, which causes the segmentaljaws M2 to turn in their cylindrical cavity, pressing the claws of theclamp into the boxcorner and elinching them on the anvil N. Thebox-corner thus provided with a clamp is then removed from the anvil N,another corner is placed thereon, the cam-shaft again rotated, and thesame operations repeated, and so on continuously. Thusit will beseenthat at each revolution of the camshaft B five different operations areperformed on four different portions of the strip of metalthat is tosay, one finished part of the strip, comprising an angle-clamp, is cutoff and applied to a box-corner; anotherI part of` the strip, comprisingthe material for a second angle-clamp, is fed forward through thecutting-off die; a third part of the strip, comprising the material fora third angle-clamp, is bent to the required form, and a fourth part ofthe strip, comprising the material for a fourth an gle-clamp, is cut outto the required shape.

All parts of the machine that require to be altered to suit differentsizes or characters of angle-clamps are preferably made interchangeable,or otherwise adjustable, so that one machine may be made to perform aconsiderable variety of work.

In the machinery above described the camshaft and its cams have to makea complete revolution to perform a complete set of operations. Itisobvious, however, that the cams maybe so shaped and the mechanismactuated by them so arranged that the complete set of operations may beperformed by a partial rotation forward and backward of the camshaft.Rotary or reciprocating-rotary motion may be imparted to the camshaft byany suitable means-such as a crank-handle-applied either direct thereto,or through the medium of toothed gearing, or by means of a treadleoperated by the foot acting through suitable levers, links, gearing,the., or otherwise by mechanical power of any kind.

l would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precisearrangements and details hereinbeforc described and illustrated in thedrawings, as they may be varied .without departing from the nature of myinvention.

Having now particularly described andascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, l declare thatwhat I claim is- ,1. The improved machinery for the manufacture andapplication of angle-clamps for uniting the corners of card-board andother boxes, consisting of the cutters C D, lever E, and cam F forcutting out and shaping the claws on the edges of a strip of metal, therollers H, ll', H2, and lli", and the mandrel H10 for bending the saidstrip of metal longi- IOO IIO

lto

tudinally and the claws at the edges thereof inward, the slidingcarriage 12, the gripping devices I I', the lever 10, oscillatinghorizontally and vertically, the cams 110 111, and the springs 112 and115 for feeding or drawing forward the strip of metal a distance equalto the length of a finished angle-clamp, the dies L L', and thecutting-edge or shear L5, secured to the lever M for shearing off theangle-clamps to length, and the anvil N, the lever M, provided with anangular groove in its front end corresponding to the said anvil, the.cams M M8, and the springs M9 M10 for applying the finished angle clampsto the corners of boxes, all arranged, combined, and operatingsubstantially as hereinbefore described,and illustrated in the drawingshereto annexed.

2. 1n machinery for the manufacture of vangle-clamps for uniting thecorners of cardboard and other boxes, the cutters C D, lever E, and camF for cutting out or shaping the claws on the edges of a strip of metal,the rollers H, H', H2, and H3, and the mandrel H10 for bending the saidstrip of metal longitudinally and the claws at the edges thereof inward,the sliding carriage I2, the gripping deviceI 1', the lever 10,oscillatinghorizontally and vertically, the cams 110 111, and thesprings 112 and 115 for feeding or drawing forward the strip of metal adistance equal to the length of a finished angle-clamp, and the dies LL', the cutting-edge or shear L5, the lever M, the cam M', and thespring' M10 for shearing off the angle-clamps to length, all arranged,combined, and operating substantially as hereinbefore described, andillustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.

3. In the machinery for the manufacture of angle-clamps for uniting thecorners of cardboard and other boxes, the cutters C D, lever E,and cam Ffor cutting out and shaping the claws on the edges of a strip of metal,the rollers H, H', H2, and H5, and the mandrel H10 for bending the saidstrip longitudinally and the claws of the edges thereof inward, and thesliding carriage 12, the gripping devices I 1', the lever 10,oscillating horizontally, the cams 110 111, and the springs 112 115 forfeeding or drawing forward the strip of metal, all arranged, combined,and operating substantially as hereinbefore described.

4. In machinery for the manufacture of angle-clamps for uniting thecorners of cardboard and other boxes, the rollers H, H', H2, and H2, andthe mandrels H10 for bending or shaping to the desired forni a strip ofmetal previously cut out with claws on its edges, the sliding carriage12, the gripping devices 1 I', the lever 10, oscillating horizontallyand vertically, the cams110 and 111, and the springs 112 and 115 forfeeding or drawing forward the strip of metal a distance equal to thelength of a finished angle-clamp,the dies L L', and the cutting-edge orshear L5, secured to the lever M for shearing off the angle-clamps tolength, and the anvil N, the lever M, provided with an angular grooveinits front end corresponding to the said anvil, the cams M M2, and thesprings M9 M10 for applying the finished angle-clamps to the corners ofboxes, all arranged, combined, and operating substantially ashereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.

5. 1n machiner)T for the manufacture of angle-clamps for uniting thecorners of cardboard and other boxes, the rollers 1-1, H', H2, and H5,and the mandrel H10 for bending or shaping a strip of metal previouslycut out with claws on its edges, the sliding carriage 12, the grippingdevices I I', the lever I0, oscillating horizontally and vertically, thecams 110 and 111, and the springs 112 115 for feeding or drawing forwardthe strip of metal a distance equal to the length of a finishedangleclarnp, and the dies L L', the cutting-edge or shear L5, the leverM, the cam M', and the spring M10 for shearing off the angle-clamps tolength, all arranged, combined, and operating substantially ashereinbefore described, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.

6. In machinery for the manufacture of angle-clamps for uniting thecorners of cardboard and other boxes, the sliding carriage 12, thegripping devices 1 I', the lever 10, oscillating horizontally andvertically, the cams 110 111, and the springs 112 115 for feeding ordrawing forward a strip of met-al previously cut out with claws on itsedges and bent or shaped to the desired form a distance equal to thelength of a finished angle-clamp, the dies L L', the cutting-edge orshear L5, the lever M, the cam M', and the spring M10 for shearing offthe angle-clamps to length, and the anvil N, the lever M, provided witha pair of jaws M2, and a second lever M0, actuating the said jaws, thecams M' M5, and the springs M0 M10 for applying the iinishedangle-clamps to the corners of boxes, all arranged, combined, andoperating substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated inthe drawings hereto annexed.

7. 1n machinery for the manufacture of angle-clamps for uniting thecorners of cardboard and other boxes, the sliding carriage 12, thegripping devices I 1', the lever 10,y oscillating horizontally andvertically, the cams 110111, and the springs 112 115 for feeding ordrawing forward a strip of metal previously cut out with claws on itsedges and bent or shaped to the desired form a distance equal to thelength of a finished angle-clamp, and the dies L L', the cutting-edge orshear L5, the lever M, the cam M', and the spring M10 for shearing offthe angle-clamps to length, all arranged, combined, and operatingsubstantially as hereinbefore described, and illust-rated in thedrawings hereto annexed.

8. In machinery for the manufacture of angle-clamps for uniting thecorners of cardboard and other boxes, mechanism for feeding or drawingforward the strip of metal, consisting of grasping devices I 1', carriedby IOC y IIO a reciprocating sliding carriage I2, and a lever I6,oscillated horizontally on the fulcrum-pin I7 by the cam I10 and springI12 for effecting the reciprocating motion of the carriage, andoscillated vertically on the fulcrum-screvsv's I9 by the cam I11 andspring 115 for closing and opening the grasping devices, as hereinbeforedescribed, and illustrated in the drawings hereto annexed.

9. In machinery or apparatus for applying an gle-clamps to the cornersof cardboard and other boxes, the mechanism for pressing' the claws ofthe clamps into the corners of the boxes consisting of a pair of jaws M2M2, opposed to an anvil N and carried on the end Witnesses:

STEPHEN EDWARD GUNYON,

115 Camion Street, London. WILLIAM ANDERSON SMITH,

Il? Stoke Neim'oigton Road, London.

